Monthly Archives: August 2014

Supporters of the battleship Texas warn that there isn’t much time left to save the ship, a veteran of two world wars. The hull is becoming more and more difficult to patch, due to the weakness of the steel surrounding the holes that develop; the Battleship Texas Foundation reports that 300,000 gallons of water a day are pumped out of the ship. The best course of action, the group says, is to dry berth the ship, creating a system around the vessel allowing restorers to control the amount of water surrounding the hull. The cost of such a project is estimated at $40 million.

The State of Texas owns the battleship, currently berthed in the Houston Ship Channel. The Battleship Texas Foundation is urging people to reach out to their representatives to ask for additional funding to save the ship.

Launched in 1912 and commissioned in 1914, Texas took part in President Woodrow Wilson’s intervention in Veracruz, Mexico. After the outbreak of World War I, she trained Naval Armed Guard gun crews. After an overhaul in 1917, she was sent to protect troop convoys in the North Sea. In the Second World War, she participated in the battle of Iwo Jima and the Normandy invasion. Today, she is the country’s only remaining World War I-era dreadnought battleship.

The event is held each year to commemorate the Battle of Trafalgar and the death of Admiral Lord Nelson. It is named for HMS Pickle, which participated in the battle and was the messenger ship that carried the news of the victory and of Nelson’s death back to England. This year’s honorary chair woman of the dinner is Antonia Romeo, British Consul General in New York. Commodore Jerry Kyd, Commanding Officer of the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth and Commander Carrier Strike Group, will be the main speaker.

Friday, 11 November 2016
New York Yacht Club
37 W 44th Street

New York, NY 10036

Space is limited. For reservations contact Sally McElwreath Callo at SallyMC79@verizon.net or by phone at 917 536-1077.

Ticket price is $295 per person. Dress is black tie or military equivalent. The event is sponsored by the American Friends of the National Museum of the Royal Navy, with additional support from The Nelson Society, The 1805 Club, and the National Maritime Historical Society.

The Lynx is seeking a motivated, personable individual to fill a paid deckhand position, beginning immediately. Preference will be given to candidates with experience in traditional sailing and education. Lynx will be conducting educational programs and daysails in Nantucket through September, then moving south to the Chesapeake this fall. To apply, email a resume and cover letter to Captain Jesse Doucette at captain@tallshiplynx.com.

Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-10) and the South Street Seaport Museum announced that the museum will be receiving $10.4 million in federal funds from the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The grant from FEMA’s Public Assistance Program has been awarded as part of federal efforts to assist in repairing damage caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Photo courtesy of South Street Seaport Museum

“After Hurricane Sandy, we fought to secure the necessary emergency funding to help New York recover,” said Rep. Jerrold Nadler. “Lower Manhattan was badly hit by the storm and the downtown community continues to struggle to rebuild. Allocating $10.4 million from FEMA to the South Street Maritime Museum—which is the Congressionally-designated National Maritime Museum—is a positive first step in supporting such an important site to the history and culture of New York City and the nation, and I am glad to see the progress being made in securing the long-term health and prosperity of the museum.”

“We’ve been working for more than two years to secure funding for Sandy recovery. This grant is a strong step in the right direction for the Seaport Museum,” said Captain Jonathan Boulware, the Museum’s Executive Director. “Congressman Nadler’s support of our efforts has been meaningful and we’re encouraged by this news as we undertake larger efforts to improve and expand Museum programming.”

In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy devastated the Seaport Museum with floodwaters. Although the fleet of ships sustained little damage, the buildings were inundated with up to 7 feet of salty water. Elevators, escalators, electrical equipment, and heating and cooling systems were all destroyed. Since that time the Seaport Museum has made significant progress toward recovery. Notable achievements include revitalized education programming (with tripled attendance over last year), increased membership (more than doubled), and the reactivation of the 1893 schooner Lettie G. Howard as a sailing school vessel. In addition, the museum has begun a $10.6 million City-funded restoration of the 1885 ship Wavertree, to be completed next year. “While there is a great deal yet to do, with this support from FEMA we can continue to build toward a bright future for the South Street Seaport Museum,” added Boulware.

The Plein Air Painters of the Maritime Gallery
Exhibition and Sale
Through September 20 at Mystic Seaport Museum

Thirty artists gathered for five days in July on the grounds of historic Mystic Seaport and the nearby coastal marshes, beaches and towns. Following the tradition of the en plein air painters of the 19th and early 20th centuries, the artists could be found at their French easels creating the 114 paintings now on display. Featured artists this year include David Bareford, David Montiero, Neal Hughes, and Bill Hanson.

The exhibition and sale is open to the public at the Mystic Seaport Maritime Gallery and will continue through September 20. The online exhibition can be viewed on Mystic’s website.

David Lussier, “Seaport Morning”, OIL, 11 x 14

“This annual exhibition and sale, now in its 19th year, showcases paintings by many of the top maritime artists working today and illustrates why Mystic Seaport is so beloved by artists as a place of inspiration,” said Monique Foster, Director of the Maritime Gallery. “These paintings are remarkably affordable considering the quality of the work and the renown these artists have among collectors of maritime art.”

The Gallery is open daily from 10 am. to 5 pm. Admission is free. For more information, call 860 572-5388 or visit the Gallery’s website.

The NMHS Facebook page is where we share news stories, photos and video clips that we think will interest you: news of new discoveries in marine archaeology, sail training, naval history, historic ship preservation, shipbuilding and much more. If you haven’t been following us on Facebook, here’s a brief look at some of the stories you might have missed out on:

The recovery of the ship’s bell from HMS Hood, the British warship sunk in May of 1941 by the Bismarck with a loss of over 1,400 crew members. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen led a crew to recover the bell, which will be conserved and then displayed as a tribute to the fallen crew.

The departure of the replica ship San Salvador from her construction site in San Diego. Originally scheduled to launch in April, San Salvador was significantly heavier than anticipated, and the logistics for getting her on the water necessitated additional heavy equipment and planning. She was floated on a barge to a Chula Vista shipyard for the final stage of her construction, and her public debut is slated for next month.

And this cool video of the Great Barrier Reef, with a turtle as our guide.

Please Like our Facebook page and Follow NMHS to continue to see the maritime headlines, videos and photos from all around the web. Join in the discussion on the Comments section, or Like individual posts to let Facebook know you want to see all of what NMHS has to share. We hope to see you there!

This summer, ports along the North American Atlantic coast have been host to France’s Hermione, replica of the frigate that carried the Marquis de Lafayette to aid the American colonies in their struggle for independence. From her first arrival in Yorktown, VA, to her final stop in Lunenburg, NS, Hermione and her crew were given an enthusiastic and warm welcome.

We’ve collected some of the many news clips about Hermione‘s visit here.

The schooner Lois McClure will be at the Newburgh Riverfront Marina this Thursday, 14 August from 10am-5pm. Admission is free. A full-scale replica of an 1862-class sailing canal boat, Lois McClure is on tour this year commemorating the 200th anniversary of the final year of the War of 1812.

The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum is using the opportunity to share the story of the military contest for Lake Champlain and Macdonough’s Victory on September 11, 1814. The battle helped determine the outcome of the war and the 2014 tour will visit communities along the Richelieu River, Lake Champlain and the Hudson River to New York City. In addition to concluding the War of 1812 trilogy, the 2014 program will carry information about environmental stewardship and the incredible historic canal system that is still operational today. An important aspect of interpretation will focus on the shipwrecks of the War of 1812.